Sunday, August 28, 2011

A FEW TRAVELING THOUGHTS AND A FEW CONCERNS

HIKING PALM CANYON IN THE KOFA MOUNTAINS OF ARIZONA

Had I not loaded up the furry guys this afternoon and taken them in to town for a Cold Cut Combo sub at Subway my day would have been totally eventless. Later this afternoon I did a load of laundry to get some of the Sub's honey mustard and sub sauce out of my shirt. Seems whenever me & the Kids go out for lunch, I end up doing laundry!! Watching the Pheebs racing around on our morning walk we couldn't help but think of some perils she will be facing on our upcoming journey. I don't think Pheebe knows what a Skunk is or a Cholla Cactus. Javelina's are extremely dangerous to an unwary young dog & we are always on the lookout for Coyotes. Of course we have Coyotes right here nearby as well.

THE RUGGED KOFA MOUNTAINS AS SEEN FROM OUR BOON DOCKING SITE SOUTH OF QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA….WE JUST MAY BE SPENDING SOME MORE TIME IN THESE MOUNTAINS ON THIS WINTER

Traveling with three 13 year old dogs is not be the same mind set for us now traveling with one 13 year old and an energetic 2 year old. We will have to carefully re-think old habits for her safety. I have always worried about rattlesnakes in the southwest especially as it begins to warm up in March but we have never encountered one so far. We well know the importance of dog obedience classes & how they can save a dog's life so we are looking forward to beginning our classes with the Pheebster a week from Saturday. The classes will run for 6 weeks.

SAND HILL CRANES OVER THE SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY WITH THE LIGHTLY SNOW DUSTED MULE MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND…PHOTO TAKEN FROM ‘THE RANCH’

We also threw around some ideas on our walk about destinations this winter as well. Warmth will be our prime focus so that is probably going to mean the Yuma area for a time. We may very well re-visit the Ajo region again for awhile as well as the Kofa Mountains south of Quartzsite. These areas of Arizona are generally warmer than other regions. If we are not needed for Ranch sitting this year we may not be back into the South-eastern area of Arizona until on our way back home in March when the night's are warmer. I imagine we will hit Borrego Springs California at some point again for sure too. And, of course we are always looking for new and unique out of the way places so if anyone has any suggestions for the Bayfield Bunch we would love to hear them. No, we are not interested in RV Parks or Cities of any kind. For any new readers, we much prefer boon docking off by ourselves with just the wind in the cactus and a clear canopy of silent stars overhead every night.

THIS WINDING ROAD LEADS THROUGH THE AJO MOUNTAINS IN ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT SOUTH OF AJO, ARIZONASitting here in our sun room this afternoon staring out the window on all the lush thick green jungle like foliage surrounding us it is hard to imagine in less than two months our environment will completely change. The distances we can see from our house here in Bayfield is measured in yards while the distances visible in the Southwest are measured in as far as the eye can see. From shrubbery just a few feet in front of me now to the tops of Mountains 40, 50, & 60 miles away. From small patches of night sky visible through our tall pine trees here to sweeping night vistas from horizon to horizon. From a few visible stars to thousands. Our world will change to that of endless Mountain ranges with breathtaking beauty around every turn.

We will be in the land of fiery sunrises and smokey sunsets every morning and every evening. A land of deep colourful rocky canyons, forests climbing ever higher on the mountain sides, rivers snaking their way across canyon floors and great desert terrains sporting green swatches of stately Saguaro cactus. For the little boy inside me it is the land of my childhood dreams. It is the land of Cowboys and it is the land of Indians. And, it is the land where Indians and Cowboys still roam and are still a part of everyday Arizona life in the West:))

I am not a person who looks too far beyond of where he is anymore and with the way things are going now with the economy I have to realistically understand that each year we are fortunate enough to head south for the winter could very well be our last. After all, this dream life does not last forever. When we started RVing a few years ago I was far more optimistic about a long RVing future whether it was going to be Full Timing or Snow Birding. Simple realities of life have chipped away at that optimism over the years but if we can get ourselves on down to the Great American Southwest once again this year I will consider that a treasured bonus. We will deal with the following year and all it holds, when it gets here……………and not before.

A COUPLE OF HIGH FIVE’S AT THE GATE WHEN KELLY GOT HOME THIS AFTERNOON (CANON SX210IS)

GROANER’S CORNER:

Heard on a public transportation vehicle in Orlando. "When you exit the bus, please be sure to lower your head and watch your step." "If you miss your step and hit your head, please lower your voice and watch your language. Thank you."

11 comments:

Al,we all have those thoughts..Dennis will turn 70 this next April...every year we get now is a gift...Who knows how much longer we will be able to enjoy this Winter life style..But don't look too far into the future..Nurture each and every year we get "on the road"...There are LOTS of people out there who NEVER get to do what we have done...Thank God we have gotten to do it...enjoy///

Lots to think of with a new fur kid on board. I'm sure with you and Kelly and little Cora to show her the ropes, she'll get along fine. From what you have shown of her so far, she seems like a mighty smart pooch.

Al, down here in So. CA we have snake avoidance classes. While not foolproof they do offer a measure of security for dogs who tend to be a bit nosey. I've taken Jed twice, and if he hears a rattlesnake I have no doubt that he'll turn tail and run like the wind. I actually played a soundbite of a rattler that I found online and he couldn't get away from me fast enough. Poor guy -- but I now know he recognizes the sound and will avoid it at all costs. The training was sponsored by a quail hunting organization & cost about $65. You might also consider getting him vaccinated as well. The shot(s) won't make her immune to the venom but will buy you some extra time while you race her to the vet.

Re. Finding Warmth: Maybe you want to try the Holtville Hot Springs. Even on a cool morning (32F) you can go and soak in that nice nature's hot tub looking up into the palm trees and forward to a nice breakfast in the sun.

Great post, Al! In addition to Borrego Springs you might want to add. Joshua Tree National Park. There is so much to do and see there and one end of the park is so different than the other. We loved Jumbo Rocks area and on the other end, the area near the oasis. If you exit that end of the park, you have a choice of going straight or taking the highway. We went straight and found another beautiful area for boondocking.

Also the Amboy crater is neat as well as Death Valley.

Southern California has so much to see and do! We can hardly wait to hit the road.

AL'S CAMERA EQUIPMENT

A frequently asked question readers have about my blog is what kind of a camera do I use.

-My Nikon D-90 is the work horse and sports a Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens. I use this camera for most of my landscapes.

-My older faithful and favorite Nikon D-40 finally packed it in during the summer of 2016 and my newer Nikon D-3100 now carries my Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.6 lens. I use this camera & lens for most of my candid people photos, birds, animals, bugs & flower close-ups.

- Previous to my Nikon D-90, most of my photos were taken with my old faithful Nikon D-50 from 2006 to early 2011 whereupon the D-50 suffered a rather gruesome death when it fell off a table onto a cement porch in southeastern Arizona. The 70-300mm lens on the camera survived the fall but the D-50 did not. My Nikkor lenses are interchangable between the D-90 & the D-3100.

-My Canon Powershot SX210iS is a point & shoot camera which I carry in a case on my belt everywhere I go.-My older Canon Powershot A720iS is the camera that sits close to my recliner for most of those doggy living room photos.